The Seven Basic Feelings of Infancy

There are seven basic emotions which can be identified in very young infants. By observing the facial expressions of the infants, parents can determine what the child is feeling. Below is a list of the seven basic emotions and examples of events which stimulate these emotions.

Researchers in infant development believe these basic emotions are biologically based and when these emotions are not present in an infant’s emotional repertoire, it is a signal that something may be awry. Therefore, it is important for parents to become accustomed to identifying, labeling, and encouraging their infant’s emotions. All the basic seven feelings are acceptable and normal!